Pope Francis is right: humans can inflict great pain on each other

Our readers have their say on the pope's visit to Japan, the significance of National Day and how difficult it is for expats to say bye to this beautiful country

Pope Francis at a holy mass at on November 24 in Nagasaki, Japan. Tomohiro Ohsumi / Getty Images

This is with regard to the article Pope Francis calls for world leaders to abandon nuclear weapons (November 24): Claire Corkery's piece was a comprehensive read. In his recent visit to Japan, Pope Francis laid a wreath at a site in Nagasaki in memory of the 74,000 victims of the bomb and called it a reminder "of the pain and horror that we human beings are capable of inflicting upon one another". These are wise words.

The pope appealed to world leaders to ban nuclear weapons. This is a good call urging leaders across the globe to take positive action. However, will international leaders listen to the request of the pontiff?

Pope Francis laid a second wreath in memory of 26 Nagasaki martyrs, who were crucified in 1597 at the start of the two-century wave of anti-Christian persecution by Japanese rulers. He then travelled to Hiroshima to the site where the first atomic bomb was dropped three days before the attack on Nagasaki, killing at least 140,000 people.

War, fighting and attacking one another is never a solution. The pope’s appeal for world peace is laudable.

K Ragavan, Bengaluru

National Day is an occasion to celebrate the country’s values

With reference to your online editorial Annual summit is a road map for the UAE's future (November 26), through the upcoming National Day celebrations, we put the spotlight on values we have held for a long time, imbibed from the teachings of our great ancestors, including their emphasis on tolerance, innovation and the spirit of unity that define our nation.

We salute the spirit of the union, underlined by the forward-thinking vision of the late Sheikh Zayed, the Founding Father of the UAE, and the progressive policies and visionary outlook of our great leaders.

We have come a long way as a nation, recording significant socio-economic progress along the way. We remain committed to powering the nation and working towards the prosperity of the country and the welfare of the people to carry forward the values of courage and pride that our forefathers bestowed on us.

Saif Humaid Al Falasi, group chief executive officer of Enoc, Dubai

It is not easy for long-term residents to leave the UAE

Regarding Suzanne Locke's report Returning residents: 'Why we boomeranged back to the UAE' (November 26), for any overseas residents who have lived in the UAE for more than a decade, it is hard to say goodbye to this beautiful country.

Namitha Agarwal, Dubai